All's Fair in Love and War
by kaseyx0xkat
Summary: Rosalind thought nothing of that portrait of Georgiana Martin when she saw it in class, other than the fact that it looked like her was just a little freaky. Now she's living as Georgiana, and becomes a prisoner of war to Colonel Tavington. During her captivity she falls for Captain Wilkins, but with Tavington's obsession with her, and finding her father, will their love survive?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! Thanks for checking out my story All's Fair in Love and War. It was posted about a year or so ago on here, but I took it down due to the awful writing of it. I wrote it when I was seventeen I think, and it needed a major re-write. ****So here I am again. The start of the story has a few minor changes, it's mostly all the point of view and flow. **

**Bear with me with the updates, I'm a college student and I work three jobs on top of it. I love to write, but I don't always have a chance to. I promise it will be a great story line. **

**Check out the trailer for the story here: watch?v=KF_2qDezV5o**

**And hey, if you get really interested in what I envision everyone wearing, check out my polyvore: ?filter=sets**

**Enjoy the story, and Happy New Year friends!**

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**Chapter 1**

A shrill ringing sounded in the ear of every student at Eastern High School, signaling the start of eighth period. Ms. Cammorato shuffled into the full classroom, a broad smile covering her face. The old Italian woman had a love of history that the students in her classes had never witnessed in any history teacher they'd ever had. Then again, they'd never witnessed this much enthusiasm for teaching in any of their teachers, period.

"I hope everyone brought their books today, there are pictures we'll be looking at!" A groan rippled through the room. Ms. Cammorato knew better than anyone else in the school just how lazy the juniors were; she'd had most of them in her class from freshman year on up. Although she had handed out books in the beginning of the year, she'd never asked the juniors in her last class of the day to actually bring them.

"Ms. Cam, you gotta let me run to my locker. I forgot my book!" One of the boys jumped from his desk with a panicked look on his face. A group of the students began to laugh at his unease, for they had seen firsthand what not being prepared did to their grades. The poor boy, Wesley, had been a sophomore in chemistry when Mr. Birmingham had failed him an entire semester for leaving his lab paper in his locker. It was a lesson to every student: Mr. Birmingham was evil, and being unprepared ruined you high school career. As Wesley ran off to his locker the old woman turned to face the class, bouncing with excitement. She threw her hands in the air dramatically and pointed to the board.

"Headline! The American Revolution! Yea babe! Alright, go to page 245, that painting at the top is General George Washington. Handsome man, right?" A few giggles escaped the students as their teacher continued her lesson. Sitting on the far side of the room against the wall, Rosalind Martin zoned out, becoming increasingly more interested in the quality of the painting and the vast colors of the gowns on the woman, rather than the actual lecture. Just how did they get their boobs to look that perfect in those dresses…?

Rosalind continued staring down at the pictures in the text until a tiny hand turned the page for her. The girl flushed as Ms. Cam gave her a rare stern look. The woman never usually did something like that during the class, leaving the students to their own devices. Apparently there was something important that she preferred all of the class see. The girl made a quick apology, glancing at her classmate's stunned faces before turning her attention back to the book.

_Well it isn't as if any of you haven't zoned out either. _Nearly every student was staring at her with an open mouth and wide eyes. It wasn't until she actually caught a glimpse of the page that the girl even realized why. For a moment she thought that perhaps it was the ice blue eyes that connected with her own. They immediately sent a shiver down her spine, as though she knew the look a bit too well from somewhere else. Of course, that was ridiculous. Rosalind had never laid eyes on such clear blue orbs in her life.

Tearing her gaze away from the eyes in the painting, she took a good look at the British soldier to whom they belonged. His face was just as cold and hard as the eyes, and the combination caused the girl to catch her breath. She definitely knew that face from somewhere. Perhaps a recent dream? Yes, that had to be it, for no guy that she had ever met looked half as attractive as this man, or half as brutal.

Brushing aside the silly notion of knowing the man from the painting, Rosalind instead looked at the portrait next to the soldiers.

She yelped. The woman in the portrait was her. After nearly jumping out of her desk she was able to put two and two together and figure out why every one of her classmates was gawking at her. From the vivid blue eyes and blonde hair, to the nose and smile; everything about the woman in the portrait screamed Rosalind Martin. It was like her twin, but from the Eighteenth century.

"Ms. Cam who is that?" While Rosalind was trying to calm her racing heart, her teacher simply laughed. The girl scowled at her teacher for finding the humor in a situation that she could not.

"You can relax Rosalind. A striking resemblance, yes? This portrait is of Georgiana Martin, the daughter of the famous Benjamin Martin, who was also known during the war as 'The Ghost' –"

"Wait! So that movie _The Patriot_, all that was real?" More than one of the students in the class looked confused by this information. Obviously they hadn't read the text book, but then again what student really took the time to do any reading in the texts? Rosalind and Beth simply looked at each other and rolled their eyes.

Still sporting a very amused look on her face, Ms. Cam continued on with the lesson. Meanwhile Rosalind shot a look at her best friend Beth, whose facial expression mirrored Rosalind's. Beth leaned over quickly to toss a note onto her desk, which the junior snatched away before their history teacher could notice.

_It's scary how you two look so alike. _

_You're identical; she even has that freckle above her lip like you._

Rosalind scowled yet again. The freckle above her lip was one of her least favorite features, one that she would quickly pay to have removed surgically if her mom allowed it. She found that Beth was quite right, Georgiana Martin also bore the beauty mark in the same exact place, but the young girl admired it on the woman in the painting. The tiny dot looked so natural on her. Once again she focused on Ms. Cam, desiring to know the whole story of this Georgiana, and why she was important enough to be in the history book.

"Martin lost two of his sons during the war to the redcoats. His daughter was captured during a raid, where she was brought before Lord Cornwallis. She was later forced into marriage by Cornwallis, as a means of revenge against Martin."

"So much for happy endings." Rosalind whispered, causing Beth to go into a fit of laughter that she attempted to cover up as a pathetic cough. It wasn't enough to stop Ms. Cam from sending them both looks that spelled out 'detention' if they didn't cease. The two snapped back to their texts, each in their own thoughts. Rosalind concentrated on the portrait of Colonel Tavington, which she discovered from reading the caption below. Somewhere Rosalind had seen those eyes before, such a deep blue that it was impossible to have missed them on anyone. She just couldn't place where…

Another shrill ring broke her train of thought. Hopping up out of the desk, she quickly gathered her books and made a mad dash for the door, eager to get home. All thoughts of the painting were lost to her as she waited out in the hallway for her best friend, who came bouncing out of the classroom as usual. There was a sly grin on Beth's face, one that made the other girl almost wish she hadn't waited for her friend.

"So, anything good planned for tonight?" Rosalind knew in that instant that she wasn't going to stop what was about to spill from Beth's mouth. The juniors' lockers were downstairs by the front doors of the school, and with the traffic in the hallways, they were stuck. Rosalind was trapped. Cautiously, she answered,

"Well, not really. Why?" The words came out of Beth's mouth in a single breath.

"I really want you to meet Matt. He's a great guy, and he wants your approval above everyone else's. Please come over and meet him!" Her face had a pleading expression that the other girl knew she just couldn't refuse. It was an expression Beth had used on her time and again to get her way.

Up until three months ago Beth had the perfect life. She had been in a loving relationship with Roger for two long years. As time went on, something changed drastically. No matter what anyone said or did, nothing could help him; depression took hold of his entire being. It was impossible to get rid of. He had gone off to college a few weeks early in August, where one of his new roommates found him in the bathroom.

Rosalind shuddered remembering the phone call from Beth that night. Naturally it had surprised the girl when her friend had come back to school her junior year and met someone within the first month. It was now part of an everyday routine that Beth begged Rosalind to meet Matt. The kid wanted her approval because she and Beth had been friends since they were in pre-school, and the two of them rarely did anything without the other. There were no secrets between them, but Rosalind had been trying to put off the meeting for as long as possible. With no more acceptable excuses, it looked like she was finally going to have to give in. She really didn't want to see her best friend hurt again, though.

"Alright, I guess I can come over." And giving her best smile she watched as the other girl jumped up and down in the middle of the hallway. For a moment the thought that Beth was one of the most immature juniors crossed her mind. Then Rosalind realized that all the juniors were immature, and her friend was just one to show it in the school halls openly. As the two made it to their lockers, Beth began listing what all they would need for the night rapidly and in one quick breath.

"Soda, Papa John's pizza, some vodka, I want a bag of kit-kats. Oh, and a movie too! What should we watched?" Rosalind chuckled, though in the back of her mind she knew this wasn't the best of ideas. It has been a long time since the two had drank together, and it ended in tears for both. Reminding herself never to drink in the memory of a loved one again, Rosalind brushed away the lingering dread she felt as they headed out the front doors and into the sunshine, making their way to the back of the school parking lot. A silver '91 Ford Ranger sat as one of the last cars in the lot, rusting, its appearance looking as having been in a car wreck five times over; Rosalind loved it. Most of the students at Eastern drove convertibles; the truck was one of the few that stood out from the rest. It was her baby, the girl had invested hours of hard work into it, and she was quite proud of that.

Hopping into the front cab with the radio cranked, and Lady Gaga blaring, Rosalind made an attempt to change the station, but a smack on her hand from Beth stopped her. Instead she placed her hand on the stick shift and within seconds had them out of the school parking lot. The ride to Beth's was short, and walking into the house they found her parents getting ready to head out. Her mom met the girls in the living room, looking rather elegant in a little black dress.

"Mrs. Donnachie, you look great. Special occasion?"

"Our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary is tonight. How do I look girls?" Beth rolled her eyes as her mother did a little spin around, and decided to run into the kitchen for a quick snack. Rosalind stood there and smiled politely at her friend's mother, who looked great for a woman her age. As Beth emerged from the kitchen, her dad came down the hall and stopped in front of the two young girls. Giving both a suspicious look, he handed his daughter a tiny silver key; Beth gave an innocent look. Well, as innocent as a sixteen year old who was about to get wasted could look.

"Now you two listen to me: I don't mind when you drink a little, however there will be no other people here, you will not drive, and absolutely _no_ boys." He stared at his daughter a moment longer.

"Dad, do we look like we're five?" She scoffed at him before they ran off down the hallway.

* * *

A few hours, a bottle of Goldshlogger, and a thirty pack of Budweiser later, Beth, Matt, and Rosalind all sat on the living room floor, completely drunk. Matt had arrived at the house around five, after Beth received the call from her parents that they were going to be out all night long. Taking advantage of the time, the girls decided it was finally time for Rosalind to meet and approve of Matt.

Not only did she approve, she loved the boy. Now the three sat there in the living room, watching the Rob Zombie version of Halloween. The holiday itself was right around the corner, so to celebrate it they decided on all the horror movies they could get their hands on. Rosalind and Matt were unbothered by all that happened in the movies; Beth clung to both of them like her life depended on it. It seemed that every five minutes she was screaming bloody murder. Finally Rosalind could take no more, grabbed the closest pillow, and aimed it at her friend's head. It smacked Beth in the side of the face, and as she turned and glared at the other girl, she screamed once more, jumping into Matt's lap when a phone rang.

**MAMA.**

The word caused Rosalind to groan as though in pain. _Just what I need right now._

"Hey Mom, what's up?"

"Are you coming home sometime tonight? It's almost one-thirty in the morning Rosalind!" Beth looked at Rosalind and together they rolled their eyes. The girl's mother was the queen of worry. Rosalind was lucky if she didn't get a call from the woman every half hour

"Yea, Beth and I are headed out right now Mom. We're just gonna drop Matt off real quick. Love ya, bye." Quickly hitting the end button before her mother could ask any more questions, Rosalind looked at her friends and began gathering bottles off the floor.

"Rosalind, we can't drive. We're all drunk! What if something happens?" No other memory would ever remove the look of worry that Rosalind had seen on her friend's face that night. Not like the girl could blame her; who honestly wanted to lose the man they loved and their best friend all within a three month span, and one due to drunk driving? With a reassuring smile Rosalind started up the stairs, all the trash she could manage in hand.

"We'll be fine. I'll take all the back roads home, I promise."

"If it makes you feel better Beth, I'll drive." Matt stood up and followed, but fell over quite a few times in the process. Beth turned pale, even though her boyfriend straightened up immediately. In a flashed he took Rosalind's keys and ran out to the car, and as Rosalind started to follow, her friend pulled at her arm. The panic was clear in her voice.

"Rosalind, please, let's stay here tonight. I don't want anything to happen." Giving a grin and pulling her into a hug, the other girl ignored her fears, then grabbing her hand the two went out the door and to the car. Matt was already in the driver's seat. His face was pale, eyes moving rapidly around, and he was grinning stupidly. To be blunt, he was drunk.

"Maybe you should let me drive?" Rosalind asked.

"Don't be silly. I've driven while I was drunk before."

"Well that's awfully stupid of you." She mumbled. It was not like she had any room to speak, for she had been worse than he was before and had driven. To be safe, both girls buckled their seat belts before the car set off down the street. Rosalind was actually surprised; Matt's driving wasn't as bad as she thought it would be. After a few moments she began to relax.

The ride was silent. Upon making it to the light at the top of the hill, Beth began to scream at Matt. Confused, Rosalind looked to where her friend was pointing frantically ahead of them. Matt was trying to pull the steering wheel around and hit the brakes at the same time, but it was too late.

Rosalind was screaming along with Beth. To the right and ahead of them headlights were rapidly approaching.

The car had already run the light, horns were blaring, and a screech of tires was heard as the brakes failed. Rosalind reached for the wheel to turn it, but it was far too late. The car was spinning out of control, and as both other cars hit theirs, there was total blackness.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Rosalind moaned deeply, refusing to acknowledge the fact that every bone in her aching body was screaming out in pain. It was an intense feeling, as though she'd fallen off the top of the empire state building and was miraculously living to tell the tale. Having no idea how long she'd been out, or where exactly she was, she did know that she wanted to die from all the throbbing. Attempting to remember just what happened, Rosalind tried to rack her brain. There was a flash of headlights, the car swerved, horns blared, and screams mixed; then, a sudden jolt.

Beth and Matt!

Bolting upright, the girl let out an ear-piercing scream before dropping back down once again. Yup, bones were broken. No, no, wait; they were destroyed. Carefully running a shaking hand down her sides, the teenager noticed bandages covering her ribs, right arm, and some starting at the top of her left leg. Probably broken, though why nothing was in a cast was beyond her comprehension. Perhaps they were just minor sprains instead. The memory of the pain that had just coursed through her body made her think twice about that theory. Her ribs were in far too much pain for them to simply be sprained.

Rosalind listened quietly for any sound of movement. Her scream had to have caught someone's attention. A nurse would no doubt be coming to her room any second now, checking to see if she was alright. Yet the only sound was of her breathing.

She panicked until footsteps were heard, sending her into a relaxed mode. They were running up stairs though? That was a bit strange. Opening her eyes, Rosalind had to rub them carefully and blink a few times before coming to terms with the fact that she wasn't in a smashed up car, nor was she in a hospital room. Oh no, the fact of the matter was that she had no idea where she was.

The room was the furthest thing from a hospital room that she had ever known. For that matter, she also knew she wasn't in her own room at home. Lying in a four poster bed, she could see that it was positioned in the middle of the room. All the furniture was that of a deep wood color, oak or pine. No lamps graced the tops of the dresser or desk, neither were there any computers present, and no TV. The fact that no electrical outlets were to be seen bothered Rosalind little in comparison to Beth being nowhere in sight.

The only source of light came through the windows in the room, one directly across the bed where the young woman lay. Outside she could see a cornfield traveling for miles, a rather large barn off in the distance. _Not in Maryland any more, Toto_. Instead, by some freak of nature way, she was stuck in Kansas. She was sure of it.

The door to the room flew open, and in came a man in his early forties, with a worried expression on his face.

"Thank God you're awake! Abigail!" The strange man rushed to the bedside, kneeling down beside it, his eyes directly meeting Rosalind's. The confused look she wore rivaled his worried one. He grasped her hand tightly in his own, searching her face for any sign of recognition.

"Georgiana, do you not remember your own father?" His soft voice was so familiar. It bugged Rosalind to no end, knowing that somehow she knew this man, yet she couldn't recall quite who he was. She cocked her head to the side and stared at him blankly.

"Father?" The voice sounded like hers, but somehow it didn't seem to fit at the same time. The girl sat there in bed, trying to piece everything together. This man called himself her father, but at the same time he called her Georgiana. That wasn't her name; it wasn't even her middle name! Who was this man who claimed to be her dad, when he looked nothing like Daddy at all? Daddy had blonde hair and blue eyes like she did. This man had chestnut colored hair and eyes just as dark. The panic was once again rising inside the teenager, who was doing her best to remain calm in the present state.

As a middle-aged black woman hurried into the room carrying bandages and a bowl of water, Rosalind was sure she'd lost it. The accident had caused her to knock her head against the windshield a bit too hard, and now she was delusional. No woman in their right mind in the twenty-first century wore an outfit like that. The dress brushed the floor, an apron was tired around her waist, and a blouse the likes of which Rosalind had only seen in the history books made the look complete. Where in God's name was she?

The thought of where she could possibly be suddenly hit her like a bullet.

She screamed, and the man who called himself her father attempted to calm her back down by brushing her hair out of her face and speaking soothing words. His actions only made matters worse.

_Time travel isn't possible! There is no way it's possible!_ Yet somehow Rosalind had the most dreadful feeling in the world that the car accident had thrown her back into time.

Her screams were swiftly replaced by tears. Where was Beth when she needed her most? What about Matt? Her friend was right; they should all just have stayed at the house and to hell with her mother.

What if this was all just a dream though? It was quite possible that Rosalind had hit her head so hard that she was really in the hospital having a terrible nightmare. Closing her eyes for a moment, she tried to will herself to wake up.

Five minutes later she was still attempting to wake herself up, but nothing was happening. When she opened her eyes once again, the man was still there. Chewing on her lip, she finally decided to ask the question she dreaded above all others right then.

"What year is it?" With a voice that was barely above a whisper, she asked, shaking uncontrollably. At least her crying had stopped. The man continued kneeling beside the bed, the woman still standing behind him. They both looked worried, exchanging glances before answering.

"1776." Rosalind lost it; her worst fear was realized. The name from Ms. Cam's class yesterday echoed loud and clear: _Georgiana Martin, daughter of Benjamin Martin_. This wasn't possible! The teenager shook her head, holding back more tears that were threatening to spill over. There was no possible way that she could have been sent back in time. She was needed in 2015! This just couldn't be happening! How was she ever going to survive in this day and age?

"Georgiana, don't you remember what happened to you?" Rosalind's head was beginning to ache as she looked up. Nothing was making sense, it was all rushing at her too fast to handle. _Maybe if I just go back to sleep…_

"You were racing Gabriel, trying to get to the post rider first. Something must have scared your horse. You were thrown off. You've been unconscious for almost a good week now." The man's eyes were filled with hurt and pain, as one would expect for a father who was worried about his daughter. Rosalind wasn't his daughter though; she was someone completely different in his daughter's body.

At least another part of this made some sense. The man's daughter had been in an accident as well, and if Rosalind was here in her place, maybe this Georgiana was simply in her place back at home. If that was the case, how on earth was she ever going to get back home? Would she have to be thrown off another horse just to get it done?

She didn't look forward to that if it was the case.

It didn't make any sense that Rosalind been in her accident last night, and Georgiana had been in one a week ago. How could such an amount of time pass, and now she was just waking up? Nothing was clicking. Realizing she was still being watched, she turned and looked at Georgiana's father and the woman called Abigail.

"I-I don't remember." What was she honestly supposed to tell the guy? That she wasn't really his daughter? That she was from two hundred some years in the future? Yea, okay, maybe then they would place her in a mental institution.

"I don't remember anything." Rosalind said, looking into her 'father's' eyes. It wasn't a lie; she couldn't remember anything about living in 1776, only 2015

"Do you remember who I am? Do you remember my name, or your brothers and sisters?" Rosalind's heart broke at the pleading note in the man's voice. He was obviously very hurt about what had happened to his daughter. The girl could do nothing, though she wished she could. He really did seem so familiar to her. It hit her fast, that this was the man she had seen depicted in the history books her entire life, the Benjamin Martin.

_God, this has to be a dream, a very surreal dream._ Rosalind was living a fantasy life right now, and any moment she was bound to wake up. _Please wake up, please._

It was no use. Rosalind looked up at Martin and could still see the worry in his face. He rose and turned to Abigail.

"Check her wounds, bring up some food. She's to stay in bed, though. As much as she's been asleep, she still needs her rest." Looking at her once more, he gave Rosalind a smile, a sad one but a smile none the less, and then left the room. Abigail took his place by the bed to check her wounds, chatting happily as she did so.

"You had us all worried, Georgiana; your father and Gabriel above everyone else. Gabriel regrets that he challenged you to race." Rosalind liked Abigail instantly for the warm smile that graced her features. She relaxed while having her wounds checked, and declined the chance to eat deciding that more sleep was all she really wanted.

The hopeful feeling that if she just went back to sleep, she would wake up in the hospital next to Beth simply would not leave her. Hell, even waking up next to Matt would have made the girl happy. It wasn't a picture perfect scene, but all she wanted was to be back at home. Then she could have the chance to beat the living hell out of Matt.

Rosalind drifted off to sleep, her mind still buzzing; how could it not with all that had just happened? This was by far the strangest dream she could ever remember having. Eventually she did pass out, but not before praying that she would wake up in the right time period.

God did not wish to answer her prayers that night.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

A few mornings later Rosalind awoke to the sun shining through the window on the opposite side of the room. For a moment she sat up to stretch, then realized that she was still injured from her accident. She hissed and quickly laid back down before she caused more harm to herself. Catching a look at her ribs, arm, and leg, she noticed they were still bandaged. She noticed the blankets too. Not white, not like those of a hospital. They were cream colored and comfortable.

Looking around the room she found it to be the same one she'd been in previously. Bursting into tears once again, all the young woman could think about was that she shouldn't have been there. What was she in trouble for? Why was God punishing her? It wasn't like she had been the one drinking and driving. If that was the case, Matt had been driving, Rosalind had just been drinking!

The door to the room opened and Abigail walked in the room smiling. It had been the last the past few days, the maid always came in to check on her. It had been her claim that the younger woman was starting to look much better, but Rosalind wouldn't dare admit that she didn't actually feel that way.

"You're awake; good. Your father wants to know how you're feeling today. If you're well enough, would you like to go downstairs?" The look of hope was one that Rosalind couldn't quite say no to. She didn't really want to get out of bed. In fact, all she truly wanted to do was go back to sleep and wake up from this dream, if it even was a dream.

"I guess I'm feeling alright."

"Well let's look at you and then get you dressed. First we'll see if you can walk on that leg." She shuffled over to the bed and pulled back the covers. Rosalind hadn't noticed it before, but then again she hadn't taken the covers off herself. She currently was dressed in a cotton nightgown, the fashion of the time. She would have much preferred her short s and tank top. Swinging her feet over the side of the bed, Rosalind stood up with Abigail's help.

As Abigail helped her around the room, Rosalind found that it wasn't so much her leg that hurt as much as her ribs did. There was no pain in her arm what-so-ever, which Rosalind told Abigail in hopes that she would get the bandages off her.

"I'll take off the bandages, all except the ones on your ribs. You just won't be able to put on a corset for a few more days." Leading her over to the wardrobe, Abigail pulled out a pale yellow print dress, along with all the trappings, leaving Rosalind to wonder just what she was supposed to do with everything. Thank the lord for Abigail, or she would have put it on all wrong. Abigail began to dress her quickly, as though she had done this her entire life. She then sat Rosalind down in front of a mirror.

It was the first time in days that she'd caught a glimpse of her own reflection, and she didn't think she looked half bad. There were no bruises as she had thought there might be, but she did notice that her face seemed brighter, her hair shinier. As though sensing her confusion, Abigail began to explain.

"You look much better than you did. You had quiet a few bumps on your forehead. With the exception of your bandages, you look as though you were not thrown off that horse at all."

"What happened to me?" Rosalind gave her a weary, tired look through the mirror. Things would have been simpler if she'd had some recollection of a pervious life. _I have none, though_. There was no memory of any of this, no flashbacks.

"You don't remember, child? Why, your father told you already." Her eyes were wide with shock, but Rosalind shook her head and cleared her throat. Of course she remembered what had been said when she first woke up, but she couldn't remember anything from before that point. What happened in this time before her accident?

"I know, but…I don't remember anything before that."

"Perhaps you will remember soon. You probably hit your head so hard that it knocked you senseless for a time. I'm sure you'll remember." After that, both women remained silent. There was nothing much to say while the older of the two worked on the younger one's hair. It was like magic what she had done to it, making it smooth and un-frizzed all without any hairspray or gel. Though the look was simple, Rosalind was left both jealous and amazed at what Abigail managed to do for her.

"Now let's go find your father." Abigail took Rosalind's arm gently, helping her out of the room and down the stairs. The house around her was grand, much larger than any she had ever lived in. Descending the stairs it appeared that she was in the living room, and from there other rooms branched off. The teen felt like a fish, gaping at everything in sight from the stone fire place, down to the oak colored furniture. Even the size of the rooms amazed her; huge rooms that could fit thirty people or more! No house she had ever seen looked like this, aside from those on TV.

Upon reaching the landing Rosalind was met by a small girl, no older then two, who look almost exactly like her. Much like her own, baby blues sparkled back up at her as she picked her up, despite the pain within her ribs. When the child said nothing back her, Rosalind wondered what was wrong. She was smiling, hugging herself close to Rosalind's body, but she wouldn't say a word. As if reading her mind, Abigail spoke up.

"Susan cannot speak, remember?" Suddenly the young woman did. The memory that flashed into her mind was that of an older woman giving birth to a baby girl, but dying soon after. Crying erupted from somewhere nearby, but when Rosalind looked down she found a tiny bundle in her arms, a head full of blonde hair.

The baby was Susan.

Once jolted back to reality, Rosalind shuttered, frightened at what had just happened. She quickly recovered before any questions could be asked, and turned to the older woman with a curious expression.

"I remember something about a woman giving birth. Who was it?" Having a first flashback of Georgiana's thrilled the teenager to no end, yet at the same time it confused her. Just what did this mean? Abigail opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again quickly.

At the sound of footsteps the two turned to see Mr. Martin in the room. His smiling face looked down at Rosalind; he was at least a good foot taller then she was, and for an older man extremely handsome. Feeling odd, not quite knowing what to say, she searched for anything that might sound alright at the moment.

The fact that she was in someone else's body, living someone else's life irked her. The girl had no clue as to what was going on. Should she be playing the role of a loving daughter who could remember nothing? Up until she'd had the flashback she had no idea the girl in her arms had even existed. How could she be sure there would be anymore flashbacks?

"I see you're feeling better. Perhaps you'd like to take a walk? It's a beautiful day." Her 'father's' voice cut through her thoughts. Rosalind accepted the offer with a nod, anxious to get out of the house regardless of how lovely the inside was. Fresh air might do her some good. As they turned to go outside Abigail stepped forward.

"Mr. Martin, may I have a word with you for a moment?" The urgent note in her voice must have been what made him oblige her. He seemed just as anxious as the young woman to get out in the fresh air. As Abigail and Mr. Martin spoke, Rosalind looked around the room.

It, like her bedroom upstairs, was simply furnished. A large stone fireplace against the wall, next to which was a rocking chair, a few tables, and some book shelves up against the walls. Drawing her attention completely, she walked over. What good books were written before the 1700's? Shakespeare was just about the only author who came to mind, but maybe she could find another good author.

Rosalind turned at the sound of footsteps, seeing her father walking towards her yet again. Well, Georgiana's father, but she was in her body, so he might as well have been her own father. Lines of worry creased his brow, but when the girl smiled up at him they faded and were replaced by a warm smile. Gesturing to the front door, they walked out onto the porch together.

Rosalind shielded her eyes from the sunlight, but another entirely differently assault came from two different directions at the same time; her name was called by four voices at once. The owners of those voices came running towards her and her father at full speed, and not knowing quite who the children were, she drew herself closer to her father. He chuckled lightly, pushing her forward again.

"Georgiana, you're alright!" The smallest, a boy of about five or six, wrapped his arms around her legs tightly. He looked like Father, as did the two other boys behind him. Unsure of what to say, Rosalind just smiled. When the boy let go of her legs and back away, a girl of about eleven or twelve came forward, hugging her as well. When she looked up, Rosalind could see traces of the woman from the flashback. This girl also had blue eyes. It seemed to be a family trademark.

"I missed you." The girl's arms wrapped tighter around her waist, and though her ribs ached, she said nothing, taking her free arm to wrap it around her.

"I missed you as well." She then glanced up at her father, once again unsure of what to do.

"Alright, that's enough. You lot get out of here, let your sister rest. She's still recovering." Laughing, the group went their separate ways. The two oldest boys ran out into the fields from where they had come, the girl and youngest boy to the end of the porch. As if thinking about something again, her sister did a double take and tried to reach for Susan to come to her, but Susan wouldn't budge. In fact, her tiny arms slipped around Rosalind's neck in an attempt to remain in her older sister's arms. So quickly Rosalind had become attached to Georgiana's youngest sister; if Susan hadn't refused to go, she would have refused instead.

"It's alright Margaret. Georgiana will be fine with Susan." _So that's her name_. Margaret smile, going down to sit with her brother at the end of the porch and work on his alphabet.

_So this was life in the 1700's huh? _Rosalind smiled, but frowned just as quickly. She knew that the children were now her siblings, but she didn't know the boy's names. As if sensing her confusion, Father spoke up at once while descending the steps, beckoning her to follow.

"Gabriel and Thomas are out hunting now. Gabriel's your twin. Thomas follows you two, then Nathan, Margret, Samuel, William, and Susan. Do you remember now?" Not exactly, but she shook her head anyway to act as though she did. No reason to make the man think she couldn't remember anything at all about her past. Truth was that she didn't, but he didn't need to know it.

At the sound of hooves, Rosalind and her father both looked out into the cornfield. It was the same one she had seen outside her window yesterday and this morning. Over the tops of the stalks, two horses were to be seen speeding through the field racing towards them. Rosalind tried to back up once again, but was stopped by a reassuring hand on her back and a smile by her father. She remained silent, though was nervous about the creatures and their riders. It wasn't until she finally noticed who sat atop them that she managed to relax.

The riders were most certainly her brothers, and when they stopped she noticed that one looked like her father, the other like her. Blonde, curly hair, though more curly then her own, with blue eyes was the older of the two. He jumped from the saddle and ran over to her, relief flooding his face as he took his sister into his arms and hugged her. The careless move knocked the wind out of her; Gabriel only released her after she had cried out as their father scowled.

"You're alright! I was worried that I had killed. How do you feel? You look pale. Do you need anything?" Holding her at arm's length, he looked her over before deciding she seemed fine. Rosalind laughed at his questions and frustrated look he wore.

"Calm down Gabriel! I'm alright!" The feeling of belonging hit her, a connection between herself and Gabriel made clear. A twin-thing probably. She knew by one look at Thomas that he and Georgiana did not hold the same relationship as herself and Gabriel.

Speaking of Thomas, he got off his own horse and walked over to the group. With small smile and equally small hug he greeted his older sister, but none of it had the same sentiment that Gabriel had. Without a word he ran up the steps and into the house, carrying his prizes with him. Gabriel raced after him, and as Rosalind began to question her father, they heard Abigail yelling at the boys.

"Wait for your father!" Sudden silence. Thomas stalked out of the house and took his horse's reins, leading him to the barn. Remembering that she had wanted to ask her father something, Rosalind turned to look at him.

It came upon her like a wave; her knees gave way, darkness clouded her vision, and she lost all senses. Absently she realized she held Susan tighter, afraid she might fall and hurt her baby sister as well.

As quickly as it came it stopped; the feeling of falling ceased. Opening her eyes to figure out what happened, she almost hoped to be in the hospital. No such luck. Father was holding onto her, Susan was in Margret's arms, and Gabriel stood at front door, white as a sheet.

"I'm sorry, I must have blacked out." The young woman mumbled, thankful that someone was holding onto her. Shaking all over, she wished for nothing more than to sit down. Standing this long had been too much of a strain on her worn out body.

"Perhaps it's best if you go back to bed and rest." Nodding at her father, Rosalind was helped up to her room by Gabriel, leaving her father to go after Thomas about something. Once in her room Gabriel promised a dinner tray would be brought up, but she said nothing to him. Rosalind changed out of her clothes and into another white nightgown, and then lay down in the bed.

Rosalind was lost in her own thoughts, thinking yet again that if she went back to sleep, she would wake up in the hospital. Probably not though; after being here for five days she could see nothing changing. Curling up in the bed, she forgot all about her aching ribs as she drifted into a fitful sleep, filled with thoughts of home.

* * *

She hadn't been asleep that long when she was woken by the yelling from downstairs.

"Charles Towne! We're going to Charles Towne!" Rosalind thought that perhaps it was Gabriel yelling, or maybe even Thomas? She was positive it wasn't one of the younger boys. With a look out the window that became a proven fact; the sky was black, no doubt the boys were in bed by now. While she'd been asleep someone had lit all the candles within her room. As the girl stretched in the bed, Abigail knocked on the door, entering with a tray crammed with food.

"Did Thomas' yelling wake you?"

"I couldn't figure out whose voice it was, but yes, he did." She chuckled a bit. Abigail placed the tray of food on the bed before her so that while eating she had a chance to think more about her home. Still there were no signs of getting home; still there were no signs of being in the hospital. Could it have been at all possible that she would never get back home?

With a shake of the head Rosalind pushed away the depressing thoughts and turned her attention fully on her food. Abigail set about cleaning the spotless room as the younger woman poked at her food. There was so much, how did they expect her to eat it all? It did smell rather good though. Just when was the last time she had eaten? Obeying the growls of her stomach, she began to pick at the bird, shoving a few pieces of the tender meat into her mouth and savoring the flavors_. Hmm, not chicken, still good though_. The other foods were sampled, but not much was eaten. The poor girl was so caught up in her present situation that food just made her feel worse.

The door crashed open, both Gabriel and Thomas stumbling in together, out of breath and excited. Rosalind dropped her head to the side and stared at them both.

"We're going to Charles Towne! Tomorrow!" Their shouts made both the women in the room cover their ears to drown out the voices. The boys simply laughed before running off to their own rooms. In their place stood Benjamin, a look of amusement crossing his features.

"What?"

"Makes you wish you were still unconscious, doesn't it?"

"You have no idea." Rosalind mumbled, ignoring her father's chuckles. He turned to Abigail, who now sat beside the bed.

"Pack the girls a few dresses and the boys their clothes, please. We're leaving early in the morning." When Abigail moved to the wardrobe and began to pull out dresses, her father left the room. Rosalind moved the tray over to the bedside table and slumped down onto her pillows.

"You rest Georgiana. You'll need strength for tomorrow's journey." She took the tray and blew out the candles as she left, cloaking the room in darkness. For a long time Rosalind gazed out the window, staring at the moon. It cast an eerie glow over the fields of her father's plantation, but that wasn't what had her mind running.

She had no desire to go to Charles Towne, she just wanted to go home. There was junior prom, the spring musical and band trip, softball. She hadn't looked into any colleges yet, and if she was stuck here any longer she wouldn't be going anywhere when that time came.

Feeling her eyes watering, Rosalind wiped her eyes quickly. Where was Beth now? Was her mom worried? What about Daddy? Oh, how she longed to go shopping with her ridiculously high maintenance mom and spend her dad's paychecks, she wished to ride the motorcycle with her daddy. Paint her toes with Beth. Rosalind wanted to feel like she belonged, and that just wasn't happening in 1776.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Rosalind was silent as she held Susan in her arms, looking about at the Eighteenth Century version of Charles Towne. She could remember stopping in the city on her way to Florida with her family years ago, but it had the appearance of the usual city; very boring to her. She much preferred how it was before her eyes now. There was a very elegant sort of feel to the city that she had never before known, and she enjoyed the smell of the fresh sea air. Susan remained silent as was usual for her, but clung tightly to Rosalind's body.

The young woman had woken again that morning in the same bed as the day before. It was not what she had hoped for, and for a moment a few silent tears ran down her face. She'd had vivid dreams the night before, dreams that involved what she had decided to refer to as her past life. One included a man asking for her hand in marriage. He was handsome, with dark blonde hair that curled, which he kept tied at the nape of his neck. His beautiful hazel eyes instantly made her knees go weak.

At least that's how she had felt in her dream. His features were strong; a sharp nose and perfect chin. Since Benjamin had not brought up the subject of any man to her, Rosalind assumed that she had not agreed to the proposal. She was a bit relieved if that was to be the case; she was not yet ready to be married.

The ride to Charles Towne had been a long one. Between her brothers all bickering, Thomas' loud exclamations about the ships in the harbor, and the occasional shouts from her father for them all to quiet down, the teenager was grateful when the wagon came to a stop in front of what she assumed was where they would all be staying. She had never set eyes on a more beautiful home in all her life.

The house was a white three-story mansion with matching shutters. There was a staircase leading up to the first story of the house, and as she was helped down from the wagon by Gabriel, the rest of her siblings were already running up the steps to greet a middle-aged woman who looked like an older version herself. She was tempted to ask Gabriel who she was, but decided against it because the children were screaming her name already.

Abigail took Susan as the twins climbed the stairs to meet their aunt; Rosalind noticed that there were many differences between herself and Charlotte up close. Charlotte Shelton had sharper features, whereas the younger girl's were soft. The older woman also had stunning green eyes that were quite a contrast to the younger woman's ocean blue orbs. By the time the brother and sister stood before their aunt, the rest of their siblings were already inside with the exception of Susan. Their father and Aunt Charlotte stood slightly apart from each other and the elder two Martin children exchanged curious glances at their longing stares. Rosalind wondered if perhaps they held feelings for each other since her mother's death.

Charlotte gracefully swooped down on her niece and embraced her in a warm hug. Benjamin had written of the accident and Charlotte worried that Georgiana might not wake from it at all, but she was relieved to know she was alright and able enough to visit.

"You look well Ana, and more like your mother everyday." Rosalind was unsure of what to say since she did not truly know the woman she referred to. Yet she smiled at Aunt Charlotte while trying not to give these thoughts away.

"Why don't you two keep an eye on those heathens?" Ben suggested and Gabriel nodded, leading the way inside. Everyone was opening gifts excitedly as the two joined them. Thomas handed her and Gabriel each a box, then stood over them to see what they had received. Aunt Charlotte had given Gabriel a new brown coat, warm enough for the upcoming winter. As for Rosalind, inside her own box was a book. Her hands ran along the leather cover and binding before opening its pages. It was blank. Curiously she looked at the spine, but there was no title. Her brother reached back inside the box and pulled out a beautiful feathered quill before handing it to her.

"A diary; I started one when I was about your age." She turned to see her aunt standing behind her. How could the woman have ever known that such a book was to be her savior? All the jumbled thoughts currently in her mind could now be put to paper; the teenager could feel less frazzled. It was the perfect gift.

"Thank you so much."

"You're welcome." Rosalind rose from the sofa and walked over to Charlotte, giving her another hug. She was truly grateful for the gift. In fact, after that she asked to be shown her room so that she could write a bit before resting from the journey. There was so much going through her mind that she needed to release it before she could properly rest. Once in the privacy of her room, Rosalind let loose all her worries in the crisp new pages of the diary, and when she was finished she hid it in the bottom of her trunk beneath her skirts so that no one would find it.

The young woman did eventually rest, though it was short lived. She was grateful for even the few hours she had managed to nap since the ride from the plantation to Charles Towne had left her completely drained. It was not until she was woken for dinner that Rosalind even realized she had been for exhausted, yet she was thankful that she had rested, for Gabriel asked their father if he was able to go through the town tonight, and his sister was anxious to go as well.

Benjamin looked over his eldest two children with suspicion; he knew there would be chaos in the streets that night due to the number of citizens Charles Towne was now being occupied by for the next day's assembly. Gabriel would surely want to listen to the speeches given by other patriots, but Georgiana's want to be out as well had him curious. She was not a sympathizer with the American cause as far as he knew, but she was a quite woman who often kept her opinions to herself. Perhaps she did indeed believe in the American cause for freedom.

He would not admit it, though perhaps he should have, that he was still worried over her condition. She had only just woken up from her accident, and Benjamin could see clearly how weary the journey to Charlotte's had made her. In the end he gave his consent for the two to leave and gave a strict warning to Gabriel that they were to remain in the town square below where he might be able to keep an eye on them from the balcony.

Rosalind was a bit nervous to be going through Charles Towne and in turn clung tightly to Gabriel's arm. Being just as worried that he might somehow lose her in the crowd, Gabriel kept a slow pace and squeezed his sister's hand tighter than what he normally would have.

The night air was cool, but with the presence of so many people it was rather warm. Shouts and whoops filled the night, some a bit vulgar than others. The pair ran into two young men about Gabriel's age, who each inquired as to how Georgiana was feeling. The four chatted for a moment before they went their separate ways. Gabriel informed his sister that they were Roger and Peter Cuppin, which explained fully the sour look on Gabriel's face. Peter had recently enlisted in the army, a fact that irked Gabriel because the boy was a year younger than himself, and he was still fighting with his father over his own enlistment.

In the middle of the square effigies were being strung up for all to see, before being set afire. The twins knew that tensions towards the king were high, although Rosalind hadn't realized just how high. Mrs. Cam's history class had taught her a good deal but she could never have imaged that people could hate one man so much that they would create a straw dummy of him and set it afire. Worried that the situation might get out of hand, Gabriel steered his sister quickly away from the scene, stopping so they could wave at their father, aunt, and other siblings above them before they headed over to where a man was speaking of how King George cut off his leg with his taxes.

"Georgiana, do you happen to remember Anne Howard?" Rosalind tried to remember someone by the name, but her efforts were useless. Nothing was ringing a bell, and realization of this fact showed on Gabriel's face after having asked. The young man muttered under his breath something along the lines of regretting his racing her before taking a calming breath and explaining just who Anne was.

"You've been her closest friend ever since we were children. You remember nothing?" He finally asked. Rosalind shook her head as a pang of guilt struck her. There was desperation in Gabriel's voice that was reflected in his eyes as well. She had a suspicion that this Anne Howard was more than simply her best friend, or to be more accurate Georgiana's best friend. Rosalind guessed that she was also her teenager brother's love interest.

"Gabriel I'm…I am sorry." His eyes snapped back to hers.

"It isn't your fault. If anything it's my own. I should never have raced you. If I had not you would remember. It doesn't matter. Come on, she's standing over there." As Gabriel pointed at the woman in question, Rosalind noted that she was indeed about her age. Her curled brown hair was tucked beneath a white cap, and currently her back faced them. Gabriel let go of his sister's hand and approached cautiously. It amused the girl; she hadn't pictured Gabriel being shy.

"Miss Howard, isn't it?" The woman didn't bother to look and see who was speaking to her.

"You know who I am, Gabriel Martin. The last time you saw me you put ink in my tea, and it turned my teeth black for a month." She hissed, turning now to look at Gabriel. His face flushed, and as he tried to clear his throat and explain that perhaps it was one of his younger brothers, Rosalind could now see enough of her face to realize who it actually was. Her lips were pushed together tightly as Gabriel spoke, but when she noticed Rosalind standing behind him, her eyes widened.

"Georgiana! How good it is to see you!" Anne easily stepped past Gabriel to hug his sister, pulling her close enough to whisper into her ear, "I know it is you Rosalind."

The realization that Anne was actually Beth made the other girl smile like a fool and want to cry. She held back the tears however, pulling away from her best friend. One look at Gabriel's face had Rosalind convinced that the two women had confused him greatly, especially his sister, who moments ago had admitted she did not remember Anne at all.

"You'll forgive us, I'm sure. I feel as though I have not seen Georgiana in years. Will you excuse us Gabriel?" Beth gave the young man the sweetest smile she could muster, and though he looked a bit disappointed, he nodded and turned to listen to the speech. Beth took hold of Rosalind's hand and linked their arms, pulling her slowly through the crowd and away from any eavesdroppers. They kept their voices low in case any might overhear them.

"How on earth did you get here too?" Rosalind asked.

"I'm not sure. I woke up in a bed that wasn't in the hospital and sort of freaked. When people came into the room calling me Anne I thought it was all just some strange dream. I kept telling them that I wasn't this Anne, my name is Beth. They gave me seriously strange looks, like I'd lost my mind, started asking me if I had bumped my head and felt alright. Of course I didn't feel alright! I'd just been in a car crash and was having a vivid nightmare!

"It wasn't until I woke up again and again in that same room that I realized this probably wasn't a dream. Anne's mother came in, well I assume she's her mother; no one else would call me darling in that case. Anyway, I was still freaking out over it all. I didn't want her to think her daughter was a complete lunatic. I would have felt really guilty in that case. So I told her I was feeling much better than the days before. She still gave me an odd look, but whatever."

"Oh. Well then," Rosalind couldn't think of anything to say. It was a bit amusing having Beth animate everything. Still, when she and Gabriel had approached her, Beth's eyes first landed on Gabriel. How could she possibly know who he was?

"That's all fine and dandy, but how did you know Gabriel? No one told you who he was, did they? You acted as though you've known him your whole life."

"I know it sounds weird, but I had these dreams. I guess they were like flash backs?"

"Well I'm glad I'm not the only one having odd dreams. Georgiana was thrown off a horse, and since I've woken up I've been having flashbacks of her memories as well," Rosalind looked at Beth, who appeared relieved at the fact that she wasn't losing her mind, "Any word on Matt?"

"No, but that isn't what I'm worried about. Rosalind what if we're stuck here? Like, forever?" The fear in her best friend's voice was so clear that it would have surprised Rosalind if someone had not overheard the woman. The fact that both of them had woken in someone else's bed, at the start of the American Revolution, was terrifying. It was enough to make another go crazy, though luckily they both had not. They had been raised in a time where women looked, acted, and thought differently. How long could they actually pull of the charade of acting like Southern ladies from another era?

"I've been trying not to think of that. In all honesty though, how difficult could it be? We're smart enough to know that women here are quite and run the household. I'm sure we could pull if off if that was the case." Her voice sounded so reassuring, and Beth began to look a bit more relaxed. On the inside, Rosalind was worrying. Could she actually pull it off? It was one thing to convince Beth and calm her down, quite another to accomplish the same for her own peace of mind.

"I think you're right. I'm just happy that you're here with me, and I don't have to survive alone." Beth replied, stopping to pull her friend into another hug. Rosalind felt the same, but another thought crept into her mind.

"So am I, but Beth? We can't go by our names anymore. If we really are stuck here, we're gonna have to play these roles right. Otherwise they are going to send us to a nut house." Beth nodded, understanding the real situation the two were now in. Once again she linked her arm with Rosalind's, now Georgiana, and turned them back towards the direction of Gabriel.

"We had better get you back, before your brother comes looking for us." The two women chatted over their clothing, Beth, or Anne rather, jealous about the fact that Georgiana was not laced as tightly as possible in a corset due to her ribs. The blonde eased that jealousy by stating that come the morning, she was sure to be crammed in one. Her ribs had been feeling better, and she'd made the unfortunate mistake of mentioning it to Abigail. While she was in one at that moment, it was not laced as one should be. Georgiana was not looking forward to the pain it would cause.

As they approached Gabriel once more, they noted that he had begun looking around for which way they had gone. He let out a sigh of relief when they entered his line of vision, then grinned at how comfortable the two were in their conversation. _Or perhaps he is grinning at Anne_, Georgiana thought.

"I see you two are getting along well, as usual." Anne huffed, ignoring his remark. Instead she questioned her friend,

"Will you be at the hearing tomorrow? Father has been called, and I assume that is why you are here." Georgiana did not answer, not quite sure if she would be at the hearing or not. It was her brother who answered for her, knowing that he would be at the hearing.

"I'm not sure if Father will allow Georgiana to attend."

"I could ask when we return, though." She stated quickly; if Anne was going to be there, why couldn't she also be there? Her brother raised an eyebrow, surprised that his sister wanted to attend the hearing. She had never shown any interest in the idea of war, and he wondered if it might have anything to do with the fact of who else may also be there tomorrow.

"Perhaps we should leave. If you wish to ask Father, we had better do so soon." Georgiana nodded, and saying their goodbyes to Anne, the two headed back for their aunt's. The walk was silent between them, both lost in their own thoughts. The young woman wondered if Benjamin would allow her to attend, though she saw no reason why she shouldn't.

As they entered the house, they noticed that their father was nowhere to be found, and resigned themselves to going to bed after a search for him. Gabriel attempted to reassure his sister that she could rise early and ask, but she merely told him it did not matter that much, and went towards her room.

Entering her room, Georgiana found that Susan was in the bed, breathing lightly and fast asleep. She changed quickly and lay down next to her sister, being careful so she did not wake her. The woman's thoughts drifted to how nice it would have been to be home at that moment, for she missed everyone. Even her constantly nagging mom; but the thought of how quiet it was here at night, and how peaceful the 1700's seemed made her feel quite content for the moment.

Benjamin entered the room, and after finding his eldest daughter still awake, moved towards the side of the bed.

"Father, may I attend the hearing tomorrow?" Georgiana hadn't thought that her father would be one for questioning his own daughter, but the look he was giving her made her think twice. Maybe it would have been better not to ask at all.

"For what reason?"

"Well, I saw Anne Howard tonight, and she has asked if I would be there as well. I only thought I would ask." She said nonchalantly. Secretly she also thought it would be pretty awesome to see history unfold right before her eyes. The books were nice, but reading did nothing compared to living it.

"I supposed I don't see why not. Is that all?"

"What do you mean?"

"I had thought that since James Wilkins will be there, that would be the reason you wish to go." Benjamin sat down of the edge of the bed, but one look at his daughter told him that she had no idea what he was speaking of. He worried over it for a moment, but did not say anything. Eventually she would remember everything again. For now, the effects from the accident were still wearing off.

"Who?" The young woman felt terrible at that moment. Benjamin looked almost heart-broken at her not knowing just who this James Wilkins was. She couldn't play the role of Georgiana without knowing just who this man was though, and since she had no memories, she was forced to ask.

"Georgiana, do you remember anything before your accident?"

"No, I honestly don't remember much, Father. I wish I did." Georgiana looked down at her lap, sighing. She wasn't lying. Those few flashbacks had done little to help her survive this time so far. She hoped that memories would flood her mind soon, or that herself and Anne could get back to their own time before that. For the time being, her confession had her father ready to explain something of her past, and that would have to do.

"James Wilkins asked for your hand a few weeks before your accident. You had told him you did not have an answer at the time, and I had hoped that you would soon." He didn't mention which answer he hoped for, which made her curious, but she didn't ask further about it.

"I supposed I cannot push that on you at the moment. Not with your condition." The older man looked back over his daughter, smiling sadly. She took hold of his hand and grinned, trying to make him feel better. She opened her mouth to reply, but Benjamin stood and shook his head,

"No, you rest. Tomorrow will be a long day. Goodnight." Her father leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead before leaving the room. Georgiana settled back on the bed, thinking over what had just been said. At least now she knew just who the man from the dream was. Her father seemed as though he would prefer her answer to Wilkins be no, but since he had not said, Georgiana was unsure. She was grateful for now; she knew from her readings that women now were married at young ages. Many of those marriages were arranged, and so she felt blessed that her father was not someone who was going to force her into an uncomfortable situation like that.

Then again, he might have had other plans.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Bright and early the following morning, Abigail had Rosalind, who was trying to become use to being called Georgiana, dressed and ready for the meeting. The teenager fought off another yawn as she began to descend the stairs to the living room, where her father, aunt, and two oldest brothers stood waiting.

She had spent the night tossing and turning, laying awake for a couple of hours at one point. Between that and the flashbacks she'd had while asleep, Georgiana was drained. Upon waking for the final time that morning, she had resigned herself to the fact that she would not be getting back home anytime soon, maybe not even at all. She'd had so many memories enter her mind the night before, and the more she had, the more it seemed impossible to be going home. The idea of never seeing her real family again caused the young woman to burst into tears. She wouldn't deny that she enjoyed history, but Georgiana was convinced that enthusiasm wasn't enough to help her actually live during the 1700's.

Abigail had entered her room just as she wiped away the last of the tears. The care-taker eyed her suspiciously, but Georgiana ignored her looks and sat before the vanity, ready to begin the tedious job of dressing. Silently the older woman wondered how much longer it would be before the smiling and joyful girl whom she helped to raise would return. Abigail's heart ached to see Georgiana struggling to regain her old self again.

Georgiana noticed her father smile lightly, as though in relief. She thought about how it must have made him feel better to see his daughter feeling better by the day. That and being dressed so nicely as well. For her part, Georgiana had never felt more like a princess than she did at that moment, wearing a very elegant satin blue gown. A little too fancy, thought the teenager, but she returned the smile her father bestowed on her.

The group left the house in silence, Gabriel offering his sister his arm, just as Benjamin did the same with Charlotte. Georgiana would never admit it, but she was happy about the fact that Gabriel was holding onto her. Heels had never been a part of her wardrobe in the future. Flip flops were her preferred choice, but women here only wore heels. For that matter, it seemed like some men did as well. The ones Georgiana was currently in made her feel nervous. I'm liable to trip and break my neck. At least if she tripped her brother would keep her from falling.

That was what she was hoping for anyway.

The cool morning air in Charles Towne caused the young woman to shiver, but she wished to be back outside after sitting in the stuffy courthouse for four hours hours. Every woman inside was fanning themselves in an attempt to keep from sweating like pigs, and Georgiana was no exception. She was grateful to Abigail for having handed her one right before she left the house. Yet no matter how much anyone fanned, the temperature would not drop. Georgiana had learned one very important thing at Eastern High School, and that was that the more airheads talked, the hotter it got.

Upon entering the courthouse the teenager had tried to take a seat next to Anne, but just as she had made to move in that direction, someone else took the spot. Anne offered an apologetic look as her best friend made the way up to the front of the room, taking a seat with the rest of her family. As the debate raged on, the two teenage girls could not believe that history was taking place right before their eyes. It had always been one thing to see scenes within the movies, often overly dramatic in depiction. To see it all live, how everything had actually happened, left Georgiana in awe.

A tall man, almost handsome, wearing a navy blue uniform stood up, and a silence came over the crowd. He introduced himself as Colonel Harry Burwell of the Continental Army, and instantly started to speak about the colonies needing to come together for war. With those words, the room was in an uproar once again. At least politics remained the same no matter what age you are from, thought Georgiana. No one looked to be agreeing on anything, least of all raising money for an army in the south.

"This is not a war for the independence of one or two colonies, but for the independence of one nation." Colonel Burwell made an attempt to quiet the crowd in order to continue with his plea, but an extremely handsome man stood up and interrupted the colonel. Georgiana recognized him from her memories as James Wilkins, and noted the tall frame of the man. Her stomach began to knot, and she forced herself to look away from him.

"Tell me, Colonel, what nation is that?"

"An American nation!" Anne's father stood up, snapping back at Wilkins from the other side of the room.

"There is no such nation, and to speak of one is treason."

"We are citizens of an American nation, and our rights are being threatened by a tyrant three thousand miles away!"

"Would you tell me please, Mr. Howard, why should I trade one tyrant three thousand miles away for three thousand tyrants one mile away? An elected legislature can trample a man's rights as easily as a king can." Laughter filled the room at Benjamin Martin's remark. Gabriel tensed at the joke their father had made, and glancing at her brother sideways Georgiana noted how scarlet his face was turning. Perhaps she should have acted shocked by the comment, but it made no difference to her what her father said or did. In the end, she already knew what happened.

"Captain Martin, I understood you to be a patriot." Colonel Burwell spoke, seeming curious about the words which Benjamin Martin had said. Everyone's attention was now focused on Martin, interested in seeing just what else the man had to say.

"If you mean by patriot, am I angry about taxation without representation, well, yes I am. Should the American colonies govern themselves independently? I believe that they can, and they should. But if you are asking me, am I willing to go to war with England? Well, then the answer is most definitely no!" The conversation seemed to turn, with the help of her father, to different alternatives to war. No matter what suggestion he placed before the colonel, however, it was thrown back and claimed to already have been done.

Georgiana wondered just why the colonel was trying so hard to pull her father into the war. Of course she already knew that in time he would, but she didn't understand why it was so important to everyone that he joined now. She made a mental note to try and ask him about it later. At that moment, she was too busy trying to absorb what Father was saying.

"I have eight children. My wife is dead. Now who is to care for them if I go to war?" One could have heard a pin drop. Gazes of all those within the room fell not only on Georgiana, but on her brothers as well. The young woman tried to shake the uncomfortable feeling it gave her, and instead focused on how grim her father looked. He did have a point, but there were others who would say to him that there was his sister-in-law to care for the children, or perhaps even Georgiana herself.

Had she been paying more attention, Georgiana might have noticed just how enraged father's speech had made Gabriel and Thomas. Before she could do anything about it, her twin rose and left the room. Thomas made the same attempt, but his sister and aunt yanked him back down. They all noticed Benjamin watch Gabriel leave.

As soon as Gabriel went outside, the room filled with noise once again. Georgiana looked back at Anne, who only shrugged at the whole fiasco. The voting took only a few minutes after that, and the Martin family filed out before anyone else. While Aunt Charlotte made an attempt to calm Thomas down, Georgiana looked down on the scene of her father and brother, arguing over Gabriel's enlisting.

The young woman hoped Father would be able to talk some sense into Gabriel. She was already very attached to him, and didn't want to have him gallivanting off to war, thinking of how glorious it could be. She knew from seeing images of the war in Iraq that battles were not glorious, they only ended in death. The last thing she wanted was to bury a sibling.

"Georgiana!" Still not quite used to being called by that name, the teenager did not turn around to see who had called to her. Her eyes remained on Gabriel as he and their father continued to have a stand off. When a rather large hand took hold of her arm, it was then that Georgiana spun around and came face to face with Mr. Wilkins. She was taken aback, not only by the fact that he had scared her half to death, but also by his features. Up close she could see that he had the most beautiful hazel eyes that had her completely captivated for the moment. They were exactly the same eyes from her dream a few nights before.

"Are you well? I was worried for a time that you might not make it."

"I'm fine, thank you." Wilkins gave her a confused look, taking her hand in his own and searching her face. She took his silence as a chance to check him out – he towered over her a good foot, at least, and something about that fact alone turned her on. She blushed as the thought crossed her mind. Attempt to have some form of decency; you're not living in an era where girls just throw themselves at a guy because he's tall, sheesh. Doing her best to ignore his height, the girl's eyes ran over his strong features, elegant attire, and the way his shoulders filled out that jacket he wore. I wonder if he has a six pack underneath that shirt…

"You are sure? Georgiana, you act as if you don't know me." She was brought back to the present at his question, and mentally scolded herself again for her thoughts. If truth be told, she didn't know him. Feeling that this might offend his pride, the young woman kept that fact to herself and attempted to smile, reassuring the man that she was alright.

"I had hoped, if you were better— hello Benjamin." Whatever Mr. Wilkins had hoped to speak with her about was interrupted by the appearance of her father. He was looking incredibly grim, causing Georgiana to believe that his conversation with her brother had not ended well at all. The older man gave Wilkins a pointed look, but replied.

"Hello James. If you will excuse us, it has been a long day. Georgiana," Benjamin Martin offered his daughter his arm, which she took a bit hesitantly, before he proceeded down the steps of the courthouse. Georgiana spotted Gabriel, but her father only continued walking, and the young woman was forced to follow his lead. She looked back to give her twin a quick smile, and hoped she had the chance to see him before he left with the army. Only after they were separated from the crowds did Benjamin release her arm and continue on alone, followed by her aunt, leaving her to follow behind with Thomas. The younger of the Martin siblings was glaring at her heatedly.

"Is something wrong?"

"Oh, you don't know? Don't play coy." Thomas seethed. She couldn't imagine why he was so miserable and angry towards her, so Georgiana continued on.

"No, I don't know, and if it's alright with you I'd appreciate you losing your attitude." She snapped back, lifting her skirt a bit to hurry ahead of him. Thomas was quick to catch his sister by the arm though before she could get far.

"You were speaking with Wilkins."

"Well you didn't expect me to simply stare at him as he was talking to me, did you? Of course I spoke to him."

"That's not what I mean Georgiana. He's a Loyalist, everyone knows it. If Father hadn't cut him off, he would have asked for your hand again." The statement had left her stunned. True, she knew by her dreams that he had asked to marry her. Georgiana could not however get over the shock of what her brother had said; when Wilkins had said he hoped, did he mean hoped to ask her if she had thought about marrying him? As good looking as he happened to be, the teenager would still cling to the idea that she was not in any way ready for marriage. Although she was caught off guard by what had just been said, she was irritated as well. Brother or not, Thomas had no right to cut into her business.

"Who I speak to is my business, Thomas. For the record I never asked for your insight on whose side of the war the man was on. If I wish to marry him, I will, and nothing you can say will stop me from it. I am seventeen, not five." Before she could stop herself, the words had left her mouth. It was too late to take them back, and she could tell by the look in his eyes that her brother was furious. At the time the argument sounded fine, but when she reviewed just what had been said she had a desire to kick herself. Apparently so did Thomas. It was their father that ended the argument when he took hold of Georgiana's arm and turned her back in the direction of the house.

The young woman wondered exactly how much he had heard. Maybe nothing at all. Judging by the look on his face she thought that quite unlikely. Benjamin Martin kept a stern look upon his face until the group finally reached Charlotte's home, and it was only after they were standing in the living room that he spoke to his children.

"Father, I—"

"I shall speak to you momentarily, Georgiana. Did it occur to either of you to wait until you were here to discuss what you were out there?" Georgiana had never felt so small in all her life. She didn't believe she had actually done anything wrong, but when thinking of things from the perspective of someone living in the year 1776…well, let's just say the circumstances were far different from those of 2015.

"Father she was speaking to Wilkins! He's a traitor, you heard him in the courtroom! She wants to marry him!"

"Thomas!" Their aunt scolded the fourteen year old for his outburst. All the sudden it seemed as if all eyes were on Georgiana; she was positive that she had not said flat out that she wanted to marry Mr. Wilkins, but that mattered little to Thomas, and it appeared to her father as well. She glanced at Aunt Charlotte quickly, but there was no emotion in her face.

"This conversation is not to be brought up again. My children will not bicker in the streets of Charles Towne over any subject. Thomas, I shall be the one to judge your sister for her marriage choice. Is that understood?" Thomas gave Ben a defiant look, in the end bowing his head. At the end of the day he was still the father, and what he said was law. With his son's nod, Benjamin sent him up to his room before turning to his daughter.

"Do you wish to marry him?" He asked quietly. With the little bit of common sense she appeared to have left, Georgiana shook her head.

"Very well." She stood before the man waiting for more, but there was nothing else.

"Father I'm sorry. Thomas, what he said upset me. It won't happen again." Georgiana stated, turning to go to bed before Benjamin could reply. She hoped that her confession would smooth things over, she didn't want to be fighting with the man when the returned home.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

September 8th, 177

_Although it has been nearly a year since my accident, I still find it helpful to fill these pages with my thoughts. They often become cluttered, and the stress from helping Father to run the plantation daily does nothing to help. This journal is the only place that I can be honest, and as the anniversary of the accident nears, I question how I even survived. There are days when I wonder just what would have happened if my memory had never returned. Those are the days when I am most grateful. I would never have been able to move on in life with so many questions about my past._

Georgiana gazed down at the page, filled with wonder at everything that had happened within the last year. Indeed she had regained all the memories of who she was in this prior life, and it did not take long after the Assembly for the young woman to realize that she would never again live in 2015. As much as the thought had caused her grief, Anne was in the same position and together the two coped, although it was always away from prying eyes. Both women's parents were happy to see their children acting normal once again, especially Benjamin Martin.

Georgiana believed that she had made quite a few changes though. Cooking was something that the teenager had never bothered with in 2015, and since embracing the role of a colonial woman, she had begun making dinner for her family every night. It was the scariest thing in the world, according to Anne. Georgiana had ignored her best friend's remark that day, and took pride in the fact that she had yet to burn the entire plantation to the ground. In reality, she owed it all to Abigail.

Along with the role of cook, Georgiana also took to teaching all of her siblings to read and write. Since their mother's death, her father had often looked to his oldest daughter for help in raising the children. In the last year, her maternal instincts had really come out, and all the children were progressing with everything that Georgiana taught them. Susan was still remaining silent. That fact did not daunt the eldest Martin girl in the way it probably should have. She still tried her hardest to get little Susan to speak, though she was fighting an uphill battle.

Yet the most noticeable change to be found in Georgiana Martin was her silence. The teenager thought back to the times when all she had ever done was scream and yell, with no cares in the world about the consequences. Her fights with her mother had been famous in 2015, and often ended without any discipline. Here, there were no fights. Her father had the upper hand in all that went on around the plantation. Not that she hadn't tried to test that theory a couple of times in the past.

She thought back to one time in which her father had caught her swearing. Benjamin was never one to raise a hand to his children, but the word which had slipped from his daughter's mouth had him seriously thinking twice that night. After seeing the look on his face and discovering that he had heard her, Georgiana made sure to begin watching what she said. After she had received a severe talk-down, that is. The end result was a more restrained young woman who kept her thoughts, and words, to herself. Of course every now and then she slipped. Thomas had given her a very strange look when he caught her singing a verse from Usher's song OMG. She'd had one hell of a time attempting to explain the language and where she'd heard it from. Luckily, Thomas kept his confusion at her strange behavior between the two of them, a fact she was happy for.

In fact, aside from the glares which Thomas shot at James Wilkins when he stopped by, the siblings had been very close the last year. Perhaps it was that their link, Gabriel, had gone off to war, and it gnawed at the two. Benjamin avoided talk of his eldest son, and that left the brother and sister to turn to each other and share their worries about Gabriel. Georgiana was glad of it since it brought the two closer. She discovered more about Thomas in the last year than she felt like she had in her entire life. He put up with the little slips she made. In return, she kept quiet about his relationship with Jessica Billings. Thomas never said so, but his older sister wondered if the boy was getting it on with the local girl. Well, she wasn't about to be the one to up and ask him, as far as she was concerned, that was Benjamin's job, not hers as the sister.

Yes, she had changed quite a bit, and reflecting on it all now, Georgiana discovered how happy all of that change truly made her. Sometimes she thought about how being sent back in time and living on the plantation was the best experience that had ever happened for her.

Brought out of her musings from Thomas, who handed her a letter from Aunt Charlotte, Georgiana saw another waved before her eyes. He did not have to tell her, there was only one person it could have been from that would make her brother this excited. It had been too long since they had last heard from Gabriel, and although she did not share her fears with anyone else, she has begun to dread the worst for her brother. Now Georgiana could breathe a sigh of relief, at least this meant he was still alive. With this thought, the young woman went to find her other siblings and let them know Thomas would be reading the letter for them. Susan was the only one not excited.

The youngest Martin had very few memories of Gabriel, and now that he'd gone off to war and was not around every day, Susan did not seem to care about him. Georgiana tried countless time to remind her that Gabriel was their brother, but the child only stared at her blankly. Now the young woman simply took Susan by the hand and led her onto the porch where the rest of the family waited, with the exception of their father, to hear what Gabriel had to say about the war.

_Dear Thomas, It was with great sadness that I learned of Charles Towne's recent fall to the British under General Cornwallis. I received a letter from Aunt Charlotte telling me she had closed her home in Charles Towne after the city fell, and moved her plantation to the Santee._

_Here in the North, our campaign is being marked by defeat and deprivation. Our losses have been grievous. My good friend, Peter Cuppin, fell at Elizabethtown. His death has been difficult to bear._

_We are told that soon we will march south with General Gates to fight the redcoats under Cornwallis. I envy you, your youth, and your distance from the cruel conflict of which I am apart. But I consider myself fortunate to be serving the cause of liberty. And though I fear death, each day in prayer I reaffirm my willingness if necessary to give my life in its service._

_Pray for me, but more important, pray for the cause, your loving brother Gabriel._

Georgiana stood there stunned as Thomas finished reading the letter. Peter and Gabriel had been friends for as long as she could remember. The three of them had run wild around the plantation when they were younger. He had even tried to court her, but her twin saw that end just as quickly as it had begun. And now the boy was dead. Georgiana knew that if the way she felt was anything to go by, her brother surely had to be beside himself over Peter's death.

"Are you alright?" Benjamin placed a gentle hand on his daughter's shoulder. He noticed the pain in her eyes just before she turned to look at him. News of Peter Cuppin's death had reached him a few days earlier, but he had kept it to himself, fearing how his oldest daughter might react. She would never know it, but he knew about her and Peter. It had been Elizabeth who'd told him, right before she had given birth to Susan. She'd been the one to tell him to relax, that it was only a summer love that would vanish as swiftly as it had come on. She had been right, she always was. In time his daughter had left playing in the fields with the neighboring boys for reading her books and helping to care for her brothers and sisters, and Peter had begun to help run his family plantation. Until he'd gone off to fight the war for independence.

Georgiana offered her father a small smile and nod before disappearing into the house. Her thoughts left Peter and turned to her father, wondering how he was dealing with the news that Gabriel had written. True to his word, Benjamin had not joined the efforts of the war. Life was peaceful at the plantation, and it was something everyone could be thankful for. Yet the young woman knew that eventually that would all have to change. She only hoped that whatever sent the man off fighting for freedom did not have anything to do with his children. It was a well-known fact that Benjamin Martin's family was his life.

Regardless of that fact, he said very little in terms of Gabriel, and that disturbed Georgiana. The way that things had ended in Charles Towne was not picturesque, but the tension in the air when someone brought up Gabriel's name was thick enough that one could cut it with a knife. If she hadn't known any better, she would have thought that her father didn't want to hear about his first-born ever again. It didn't help matters when Thomas brought up the idea of him going off to fight as well. Those were the nights that both father and son would stomp away from the dinner table, one to his room and the other to his study, and neither spoke to the other for a good day or so. Georgiana tried played peacemaker, but the Martin men were all stubborn, and most of the time her efforts were wasted.

Thoughts of Gabriel, her father, and the war clouded Georgiana's mind all through the afternoon and well into dinner. Even gathering the children inside and hearing the gunshots off in the distance did nothing to take her mind away from it all. Matters were only made worse for the young woman mentally when her father declined to eat with them all. He instead shut himself away in his study, and that irked his oldest daughter.

"They'll probably kill us men. And do lord-knows-what to you women." Georgiana scowled at Nathan, his words bringing her out of her own thoughts. Abigail scolded the boy, but his sister also spoke,

"Don't speak of such things Nathan. The battle won't reach here." She narrowed her eyes at her brother, who turned back to his dinner. Thomas was no doubt filling his head with ridiculous stories once again. When she got a hold of her brother-

There was a _click _of a gun in the hallway. Georgiana's head turned to look through the crack between the doors of the dining room, but she only saw shadows. One of them looked to be her father, and she knew that for a fact when he spoke.

"Slowly turn." In that moment chaos took over the household. Gabriel panted 'father' before swaying forward and nearly hitting the floor. Benjamin was able to catch his son just in time and began to drag him towards the empty study. Realizing it was their eldest brother, the children all jumped up, following after the pair and shouting out for their brother. Thomas sprinted to Gabriel's side, firing questions about the battle. In the madness of it all, Georgiana could hear her father asking for Abigail to take the children away, then shouting to herself to bring hot water and bandages.

After retrieving what was asked for, Georgiana returned to find Benjamin trying to clean up the gash on Gabriel's abdomen. It did not look life-threatening, but the sight of the wound stopped her in her tracks none the less. There was a fair amount of blood, an amount which had not been seen by her before. It took a few minutes to realize that if she did not begin cleaning Gabriel up, it could very well become life threatening. With that in mind, the young woman rushed to her brother's side and began to clean the blood away.

"I have to get these dispatches to Hillsboro. It's not safe here!" Before Gabriel could rise from the table, Father has shoved him back down. He did not put up much of a fight, but Georgiana attributed that to the gunshots they heard outside. The siblings watched silently as their father grabbed his pistol and headed for the front of the house.

"It sounds so close now, much closer than earlier."

"That's because they're fighting here," Gabriel replied, gazing out the window. His sister rose to watch the fields and woods spark with the light of gunfire. How could it all have comes so close? There were battlefields for a reason. This was home, where they were all safe. At least, they should have been safe. Georgiana remembered the children then, and turned out of the room to go to them.

"Ana?"

"The children," she said absently to her brother. Father would be capable of caring for him, she was sure. William and Susan would need her most right now. Benjamin came back in as she approach the steps, but stopped her and pulled her out of hearing range of any of her siblings. He noted the worried expression on his daughters face.

"I'm going to stay with the children." She explained.

"They'll need you. Make sure Thomas, Nathan, and Samuel get plenty of rest. We'll go into the fields early."

"The fields? Father you don't mean to-"

"Care for them? Yes, I do."

"We've nowhere to put all of those men though." Georgiana could only imagine the number of soldiers out there, who were either injured or dead. The plantation house was large, but not enough that they could house hundreds of men.

"We'll use the porch, even the ground if needed. I can't let those men simply die, Georgiana. You won't be able to either." He was right, she certainly wouldn't. Come morning she knew she would want to go out and care for as many as she could. It was in her nature. Right now however she wanted to go to her brothers and sister.

Knowing that he was right and that his daughter knew it as well, Benjamin gave her shoulders a squeeze and kissed her forehead, then sent her off. Both knew just how long of a day everyone would be in for.

The oldest five Martin children, with the exception of Gabriel, had all risen early the next day to care for the wounded. As Benjamin, Thomas, Nathan, and the farm hands all went to search for survivors, Georgiana and Abigail took Margaret and Samuel and began to care for the wounded. They began being piled on the porch, continentals along side redcoats, the war they fought put aside for the moment. Soon enough the space became overly crowded, and men began helping each other out of the fields, laying themselves in the dirt in front of the porch.

Georgiana cared for minor wounds, patching men up quickly and offering a sweet smile along with a few gentle words before moving on to the next one. Those with more serious injuries were cared for by Abigail. Over the course of the morning, the young woman noticed the number of men brought to the house began to slow down, and soon after she ran out of patients to care for. At that time she went in search of her father, finding him coming out of his study; he had been checking on Gabriel.

"How is he?" she asked.

"He'll be just fine. Are you alright? Everyone cared for?" She saw him glance at the blood staining her dress and hands; the blood of men fighting for the fate of this country.

"Everyone is fine. Margaret and Samuel are offering them all food and water, as much as we can give."

"Good. I'd like you to take Nathan and search behind the house in the fields. We may have missed a few. Abigail can care for any more here. If you find anyone, send your brother back." Georgiana did as her father asked. She and Nathan had been out for nearly half an hour when they found a British regular. The man had a gunshot wound in his leg that just barely missed shattering his knee, which made it difficult for him to walk alone. Nathan helped him back to the house after his sister pulled the bullet out and tied a tourniquet to staunch blood flow. She told him that Abigail would be able to patch him up completely when he got to the house. The man kindly thanked her before heading off.

Georgiana heard the faint sounds of moaning after Nathan and the soldier had gone. It was so faint that she thought perhaps she was hearing things.

"Whose there?" she asked, heading towards the sound.

"Help me…please." she rushed to the voice. It belonged to a boy, younger than her by the looks of him. The blue of his uniform jacket was soaked with crimson stemming from his shoulder. Georgiana removed his jacket, careful not to injure him further, and found the shot to be directly above his heart.

"You're very lucky. Any lower and you would have been dead." Taking off her apron she began to gently wipe away the dried blood on his chest in an attempt to get a closer look at the shot.

"Am I going to die?" His hands made a shaky grab for hers, latching on when their skins finally met. The action caused her to stop her examination and look at the boy. He was deathly pale already, and his hands shook so badly that she thought perhaps she was shaking and not him. He had begun to sweat, and the beads were gathering on his brow, matting his hair to his forehead and cheeks. She brushed it aside; _he is far too young to die_.

"What's your name?"

"Daniel."

"No Daniel, you won't die. When my brother comes back, we'll take you to our house and get you fixed up. You'll be fine." If he thought she was lying to him, he did not say it. Although she continued to look at his wound and try to fix him up as best she could, Georgiana could tell it was a lost cause. He was too far gone, had lost too much blood already. He would not make it to see another day. That fact did not stop her from caring for him or giving him her best smile.

But Nathan did not return by the time she thought he should have; Georgiana began to wonder if he thought she was coming behind him, and there was no one else in the fields. She knew that if she waited any longer to get Daniel back, he would soon bleed out in the middle of the field and die.

"Do you think you could walk with my help?"

"Yes miss." She placed her arm around his back and used all her weight to lift him. He was so weak that she found it impressive that he had even walked out of the fields and in sight of the house before he yelped in pain. Knowing that he had pushed his limits, Georgiana let go of the solider and carefully helped him back to the ground. He panted, gasping for breath, and it broke the young woman's heart to see anyone is such a state, especially one as young as he. Once more she checked his wound, finding it bleeding worse than before.

"I'll have to go and find help."

"Please…don't leave me… I don't… want to die here… alone."

"You aren't-" but her words were cut short by a ruckus she heard out front. Curious, she made to get to her feet, but stopped short at the sight of three very healthy British regulars headed her way.

"You, girl! Don't move!" They rushed to where she sat, one of them roughly yanking her up from the ground and away from her patient. Georgiana was stunned, so much so that she did not bother to fight or argue with the man, until she saw the muskets pointed at Daniel.

"What are you doing?"

"Colonel's orders." One of them replied. She did not wonder at his statement. Instead she focused on Daniel, who was begging for his life. He attempted to crawl backwards, but his wound only made him fall back to the ground. There were tears in his eyes. Georgiana tried to pull away and stop them, but the solider only took hold of both her arms in an attempt to keep her from causing any trouble.

"Can't you see he's hurt? Please let him be, he's not a danger to you like this, he can't even defend himself!" The redcoats paid her no heed. Their muskets remained on the boy, and the only thing the young woman could think of was to elbow her captor in the stomach and move in front of Daniel to save him. Her move stalled the trio barely a moment; the soldier who she had hit quickly recovered and snatched her back again. She made an attempt at fighting him, and in the middle of it all, heard the bang of the guns.

Georgiana screamed, and stopped cold. Seeing Daniel's lifeless eyes staring up at her sent shock through her whole body. The redcoats forced her to the front of the house, one holding each of her arms; she did not fight them. The only thing that she could concentrate on was those empty eyes.

Yet in front of her home there seemed to be a great deal of chaos going on to distract her from what had just happened. The group walked in as a monster of a man sitting atop a horse finished saying to her father something about teaching someone loyalty. Georgiana noticed Gabriel standing behind their father, his hands bound, placed between two redcoats as well. Thetwins made eye contact, wondering at each other's situations as their father still spoke.

"I beg you, sir, to reconsider. By the rules of war-"

"Rules of war, would you like a lesson in the rules of war? Or perhaps your children would." As the man's pistol was aimed at the rest of the family on the porch, Georgiana gasped and tried to go and shield them. Her actions not only forced her captors to clutch her arms that much more, and also brought on the attentions of her father and the soldier upon the horse. Judging by how he held himself, she assumed he was the commander.

"What is this?"

"We found her behind the house sir. She was caring for a colonial solider. Put up a fight against us." For a moment the commander and Georgiana locked eyes. His cold blue ones held her trapped until he broke the contact and eyed the rest of her; the blood on her clothing and hands no doubt. When he had looked away from her, Georgiana looked to her father, whose expression seemed blank. She knew by looking in his eyes he was frightened, but his face would not show fear to any of these men, that much was certain.

"It's treason to do so. Bring her." The young woman was shoved away from her family and towards a wagon, where her own hands were bound. Gabriel was bought next to her as their father argued the solider once again.

"She's cared for British regulars as well, and she is a civilian at that. She cannot be held for treason!" There was no reply right away. Once again the solider on the horse looked over at Georgiana. She looked away from him to where her other brothers and sisters stood, Margaret holding close a crying Susan. She felt her own eyes fill up.

"She is your daughter I assume. You should have taught her some loyalty as well."

"Colonel, she is a woman. You…you cannot hold her." It didn't make sense how he could actually do this. She had not, in her point of view, done anything wrong. She did her best to protect an innocent boy that was murdered. Wasn't there a rule about the killing of those who surrendered, and women when it came to war? _Father will win this one, I am sure of it_. The colonel pulled out his gun once more, pointing it at father this time.

"Did you not hear the first time?"

"Father!" Georgiana did not make to move towards him. She would not have gotten far anyway, but when she called out to him, Benjamin turned to look at her; he appeared both distressed and enraged. His daughter only shook her head, willing him to let go of the matter. They would not win this one. He backed away defeated, looking at his two oldest children one last time before turning away from them. Georgiana thought that it would be the last time she ever saw him. The commander had claimed she committed treason, and the penalty for that she knew was death. She took in a final sight of her brothers and sisters before turning away from them. It wouldn't help them if they saw her cry.

"Father, do something!" Gabriel looked back at Thomas, as if in doing so it would stop him from speaking.

"Be quite."

"Thomas!" Gabriel's shout of caution caused his sister to turn just in time to see Thomas jump down from the porch and sprint towards them. Benjamin started after Thomas, who rammed into Gabriel's captors and then turned towards Georgiana's. The soldiers that were holding them were both thrown off by the force, stumbling to the ground.

"Thomas! Wait!" Their brother never saw the shot fired. He fell to his knees before them both, and his sister was the one to try and grab him before his body hit the ground. She did not hold him very long, for her captors shoved the dying boy away and held her tight, in the same way that Gabriel's were. By that point their father had reached Thomas and was holding him as a small child, watching as the blood drained from his face.

"Stupid boy," the soldier stated, turning his horse away from the scene. The two oldest Martins were push after the wagon they'd been tied to, which had begun to set off. Georgiana looked back, letting her tears simply fall down her face. She remained looking back at the scene until it had disappeared, and at that point she looked to Gabriel. He too had shed tears, but upon noticing his sister's, stopped and took hold of her hand as best he could. They were alone now, and walking slowly to their fates.

* * *

**Hope you guys are enjoying the story so far. I'm sorry for the massive break between updates, but it's gonna be that way for a while. College just loves to pile the homework up.**


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